Marlow is running against Li in C.B. 3 chairperson race

BY LESLEY SUSSMAN | In what is expected to be a highly volatile election with racial undertones, Community Board 3 Chairperson Gigi Li will square off next month in her second-term re-election bid against board member Chad Marlow.

Marlow is aligned with a faction of board members who have openly accused Li of excluding African-Americans and Latinos from leadership of various C.B. 3 committees.

It would mark the first time since 2009 — when former chairperson Dominic Berg was challenged for the board’s leadership by then board member Barden Prisant — that there has been a contested election for this position.

At last month’s full board meeting, Li, who is of Chinese-American descent, found herself under sharp attack by a fellow board member who accused her of “consistently and regularly” failing to appoint any African-American or Latino members to high-ranking positions on the board’s committees, subcommittees and task forces during Li’s one-year tenure.

The accusation — which has been strongly denied by Li and other board members — was lodged by Ayo Harrington, a board member who is African-American. The matter is scheduled to be investigated by the city’s district office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

At Tuesday night’s four-hour full board meeting, at P.S. 20, at 166 Essex St., attended by more than 100 local residents, Li, Marlow and other board members downplayed the racial issue and said this election was about different points of view regarding C.B. 3’s future role in the community.

Former C.B. 3 Chairperson Berg told this paper, “This election isn’t about racism. It’s always a good experience to give people choices. There’s a platform that’s being pushed by both candidates, and it’s up to board members to decide whether or not it’s a valid platform.”

Marlow is a former president of the Village Independent Democrats political club who has more than a decade of community board experience gained from four different boards in Manhattan and the Bronx. He is currently senior policy adviser with the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

He said his main reason for running was simply to “improve the functioning of our board and restore its reputation with our community.”

“The past 18 months have been challenging ones for C.B. 3,” he said, “and this June’s election is an opportunity to give the board a fresh start — to turn a new page with new leadership.”

He added that, during a seven-month period, from October 2013 to April 2014, “the Manhattan borough president has had to intervene three separate times in the functioning of our board because we have gone so off the rails.”

Marlow, however, did allude to the racial bias controversy, stating, “I will ensure that our board operates in a manner that is democratic, transparent and inclusive.”

He went on to say that, in addition to his extensive participation on various community boards, as former V.I.D. president, “I have a lot of experience in running efficient and effective large, group meetings by Robert’s Rules of Order, so that people feel they get a lot of value out of going to these meetings.”

Marlow also touted his community service, saying that as founder of The Tompkins Square Park & Playground Parents’ Association, he was instrumental in getting former Mayor Bloomberg to resolve the park’s rat problem. He said he was also a driving force behind efforts to bring more “slow zones” to the East Village as part of the Department of Transportation’s Slow Zone Program. The Tompkins Square / Alphabet City Slow Zone will be implemented this August, according to Marlow.

Asked if his decision to oppose Li was personal and some type of vendetta against a board leader with different views than his own about C.B. 3’s role in the community, and who he has clashed with at board meetings on several occasions, Marlow strongly denied that was the case.

“It’s actually quite the opposite,” he said. “I actually like Gigi. I think she’s a very nice person and a very intelligent woman. I think she has pretty great things ahead of her in the future.

“But,” he added, “just as the community board would benefit from a fresh start, I think Gigi would benefit from a fresh start and needs to step away for a while. She didn’t have a lot of experience when she became chairperson and I think she’s struggling with that. I think maybe she should come back after a while and try this again.

Marlow further said that if elected, he had no plans to seek a replacement for C.B. 3 District Manager Susan Stetzer — the board’s top staffer — as part of the sweeping changes he has in mind.

“I think that when Susan is at her best, she is the best district manager in New York,” he said, “and I’ve seen a lot of them.

“Sure, there are some areas that need to be fine-tuned and tweaked,” he added, “because, as much as the board needs some changes, the operating officers also need some changes.”

Asked after the meeting if she was disappointed in having to face an opponent in next month’s election, Li said she was not.

“There’s a reason why we have one-year terms, and that’s so that anyone who feels that they want to run for office can run,’’ Li said. “I think there are some differences of opinion on how this board should be conducted, and any board member has a right to express their opinion and run for any position they want to.”

Li said she was preparing a position paper that would be released shortly, and preferred to wait until that paper was released before commenting publicly on what issues were most important to her.

The C.B. 3 chairperson did reject Marlow’s assertion that she lacked experience for her job.

“I’ve been on the board since 2009 as vice chair,” Li said, “as well as chair for the past two years.

“I also have personal experience from my day job,” she added. “I run a nonprofit coalition for increased public funding for afterschool programs and childcare programs, which are very important to this community. It’s given me experience on how to advocate for this board.”

At Tuesday night’s C.B. 3 meeting, the subject of racial bias flared momentary in a heated exchange between City Councilmember Rosie Mendez and Harrington who, at last month’s meeting, accused Li of excluding minorities from leadership positions on the board.

“Gigi did not intentionally discriminate against any minority group,” Mendez told the group. “She may have made some mistakes, but they were not intentional.”

Harrington shot back that such remarks were inappropriate.

“It’s not helpful for an elected official to get up and make that kind of comment while an investigation is not complete,” she said.

Mendez told Harrington that she had been informed of the situation.

“It’s a matter of public record,” Mendez said, “and it’s important to me to state my opinion.”

Meanwhile, at Community Board 2, board members voted to have a “stub election” next month to cover the period from June through November. Current Chairperson David Gruber would have had to step down this June after serving two years. But he successfully advocated for resetting the board’s elections to November, which is a trend among other Manhattan boards, he said.

Gruber and all other board officers are running unopposed in the June “stub election,” except for Jo Hamilton, the second vice chairperson, who is not seeking re-election. Terri Cude is running to fill Hamilton’s seat.

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14 Responses to Marlow is running against Li in C.B. 3 chairperson race

There has never been a better time than now for new leadership and new vision. This article made me hopeful that the dysfunctional and broken system that became CB3 can be reversed. For someone who once participated in the process and then left after growIng disillusioned, Mr. Marlowe is a breath of fresh air. It takes a lot of gumption to buck a deeply entrenched (corrupt) system.

Gigi Li is probably is a nice person but she is part of what is wrong at CB3. She is a feckless leader, lacking clear judgement and strength of character. In her 2 years, she never chose to stand up or stand out, but just stood by.

I wish Mr. Marlowe Godspeed to a victory- a victory this community desperately needs and deserves.

“I like [her]…she’s a very nice person"…” and “very intelligent”… has “great things ahead of her”…” …but…“she needs to step away for a while…She didn’t have a lot of experience”… “she’s struggling”…Text-book, condescending wording often used to discredit a woman’s intellect and stature.

This has been a very tactical, persistent and systematic attempt to paint this board President as incompetent and inexperienced by a few vocal people with clear political self-interest. But in truth, this young woman is one of the most thoughtful, dynamic and gutsy leaders we’ve ever had. She has a community organizer’s background not a lawyer’s or lobbyist background. They are different skill sets.

My other quibbles:

How is a functionary from an established political club and a lobbyist for politicians (Marty Conner, Adlofo Carrion) a “fresh start”? Either the challenger is very “experienced” or he’s a fresh start. Which is it?

The main reason almost anyone (in truth) runs for President is as a stepping-stone to run for political offices (Council Member, etc). It’s really okay to just say that – not pretend to be “saving” the community from the ravages of the current president. Even if you’re not a fan, she’s not Dick Cheney – really.

As to improving the functioning of the board, the challenger’s practice (recently reported in the LoDown) of holding private meetings to plot the demise of the current president is neither transparent, nor inclusive, nor improving the functioning of the board. If you help create the conditions for disrupting the functioning of a group, it’s a bit disingenuous to offer to fix the problem?

A leaders main job is to listen to and draw out the thinking of others, reflect that back and collect the best thinking of the group (including their own thoughts) to craft a decision or proposal. Sometimes you don’t ask someone to lead even though their contributions, intelligence, and expertise are vital to a groups work. If we aren’t able to listen to others without constantly interjecting our own thoughts, we can be a lousy gatherer of information or leader of discussion. Those of us who have been advocates for important causes often struggle with this (I freely admit I’m one of those people).

The need to have African Heritage and Latina/o leadership is/was the decision of everyone on this Board. There are different strategies to accomplish this – there is disagreement only on that point.

Thanks for the offer to “restore” our community board’s reputation, but I think CB3; with its wild, independent, scrappy, but ultimately collegial and thoughtful ways is one of the finest and most diverse community boards in this city. To a person, these volunteers intend to make this neighborhood go better, regardless of any disagreements -including this challenger. I just would recommend a more upright fight.

Kinda sad that Gigi had to find some hack to try to do a hatchet job on Mr. Marlow, a great community leader and a true reformer. Also not surprising she picked a board member who had been on CB3 for less than 2 months so she has no idea how bad things are month in and month out at CB3.

Question K: Are Scott Stringer and Gale Brewer equally sexist and morally repugnant because they reprimended Gigi repeatedly for running CB3 off the rails? Is Chad Marlow to blame that the last CB3 meeting, like many others, was so poorly run that it lasted more than 4 hours? Are the Black and Latino members of CB3 racist beause they we excluded by GIGI ALONE from become committee chairs for 2 years?

By the way, can't help but point out how unclassy it is for one member of a community board to attack another on a public blog. You really are a true Gigi Li disciple.

K, as a neighbor who knows you to be a smart person who cares deeply about this community, it worries me to read you labeling anyone who disagrees with you as sexist. I don't know Chad, so I have no idea if he’s the right person to lead CB3, but I have read many comments, here included, where people have tried hard to not make this personal. For you to instantly flip that as nefarious is disturbing. Since all we have here are our words, I’m saddened that you will not take people at them, but instead imply darker motives. It’s not like anyone here is trying to write with great subtext – people usually say what they mean. Now, as for those here who’ve subsequently called you names, well, have at them, but neither of you look good to us readers.

With all due respect Ms. Webster, you are wrong. This CB desperately needs its reputation restored. It has become a reference point for bad governance and spits in the face of democracy. This CB is not scrappy, it's crappy. This CB is not wild, it's controlled and methodical in its exclusion. This CB is diverse but not among its leadership. This CB is not independent, its tightly controlled by the authority of a few at the expense of the greater good…

Here is some sage advice for supporters of Gigi Li and the mafia faction of CB3, stop having K Webster and Max555 speak for you.

Their illogical, convoluted and obsequious comments only serve to support the opposition"s argument that CB3 is political cesspool filled with flunkies, sycophants, lackeys , hacks, cronies , tyrants and crooks.

I have yet to hear a compelling argument why Gigi Li should serve a 3rd term. Please K and Maxx tell me how Gigi Li"a decision to suspend a community group from speaking, calling a vote on a withdrawn item, and not appointing any Latinos/AA (though qualified and eligible) to leadership positions makes her an exemplary leader?

These very public and highly controversial decisions by her are hard to convince anyone she knows what she is doing. Can you imagine all the ineptitude and poor decisions that were not made public?

It's a hard sell that we need another year of Gigi Li. With that said, I am buying what Chad Marlow is selling. At the very least, it's not Gigi Li…

A shrew AND a harridan! I’m honored. Names used historically to censure a woman who talks back, who doesn't know "her place" (Buffy the Vampire Slayer was called a harridan)! And all those other mean words (someone had their thesaurus out!)….Damn, I must be terrible.
Never been known as obsequious though…

…perhaps useful to contemplate…

Re: being on the CB 3 board for 2 months, Many of us newbies didn’t just arrive here newly minted. Most of us have been engaged in working for our neighborhoods for years. Me for over 35 years. Deeply involved in my neighborhood. You build enough mutual respect from working together so that it is possible to disagree utterly with each other and yet not throw one another to the wolves. Not easy to pull off but necessary to build anything real.

I’m not sure you can understand that a person can back someone who is good and not get material gain out of it. Knowing and backing the people who do the work of a community and, when those people are attacked unfairly, responding, doesn’t make you a flunky. It makes you a friend, a colleague and a comrade. If you can’t be those things, I don’t know how you survive the hard times nor enjoy the good ones.

As to using just the initial as my first name, do you not see the irony that you post anonymously? Unlike you, I always use my name. And if you want to talk to me, (as opposed to endless name calling) stop by the M’Finda Kalunga Community Garden on weekends. Bob usually knows how to reach me.

Otherwise this is all kind of pointless and perhaps just a wee bit too cowardly?

My first and only conversation with Chad Marlow was about noise and disorderly conduct in our neighborhood and he spoke strongly about something not mentioned before: the health implications of binge drinking on young people. His thoughtfulness impressed me.
And there's this: "during a seven-month period, from October 2013 to April 2014, “the Manhattan borough president has had to intervene three separate times in the functioning of our board"
Sometimes a controversial personality in an organization just causes too much distraction and it becomes more about them than the organization goals. At this point, change might be a good thing.
It will be interesting to see what the full CB3 Board decides.

I am deeply moved by the conviction and strength of character of both Chad Marlowe and Ayo Harrington. Regardless if Chad Marlowe has political ambitions (so does Gigi Li– who do you think is being groomed to replace Chin?), he is willing to stand up now to what everyone knows has long been wrong with CB3 and offer another alternative.

My admiration for Ayo Harrington only grew stronger when she stood up to Rosie Mendez. Mendez had no place in the discussion. No one ever said Gigi LI intentionally or personally discriminated. It was very clear what Gigi did was uphold a system that did. Mendez should be ashamed of herself for not understanding the difference, and not speaking out against institutional racism. But for all of us that know the political history of this area, we are not surprised by her allegiance to Gigi Li and the status quo.. This all goes way, way back : Margarita Lopez, Rosie Mendez, Susan Stetzer and the list goes on…

It's all in the hands of the board now. They will either elect to keep things as they are or vote for change. We as residents can only hope for the later.